“Hope is harmony, opportunity, peace, and existence.”

Exposing Hope with Judy Bell reveals a philosophical lady with profound thoughts on her journey.  She shares, in her words, the elements which depict hope.  “Harmony exists with friendship, fellowship, cooperation, and understanding.  All of these contribute to being in harmony with myself and others.  It also involves getting along with friends and the ability to form new harmonious relationships.”

Judy continues to reveal another element in defining hope: opportunity. “Opportunity gives us the circumstances that make it possible to have a new lease on life.  I try to see the things that are important to me and pursue those opportunities to help myself and others.  These opportunities help produce challenges and mostly positive results.”

Survivors share stories of peace and Judy describes it very eloquently. “Peace comes from hope to have freedom from disturbance with quiet and tranquility.  This can be achieved by me through meditation, gardening, and walking.  These activities produce calmness and tranquility.  Peace also means freedom from or the cessation of war within my body and the hope to remain cancer free.”

One more component in her vision of hope is existence.  “Existence is the state of living with continued survival.  Having had cancer, continued survival is very important to me.  It is an actuality and existing reality that has affected my way of living.” 

Judy shared, “HOPE produces a desire for a relatively stable equilibrium with Harmony, Opportunity, Peace, and Existence.  All these play a part in contributing to HOPE with a feeling of expectation and HOPE for the best for a life filled with these positive things.”

As a breast cancer survivor, Judy openly shared the impact of her journey and particularly the positive.  She is acutely aware of the importance of healthy living through nutrition, socialization, mental stimulation, spirituality, and physical activity.  Judy also shared the importance of making a positive impact through supporting others.

Judy Bell is a five-year survivor.